Device for purifying oxygen and the like



April 1946- J. K. HAMILTON 7 2,398,830

DEVICE FOR PURIFYING OXYGEN AND THE LIKE Filed Jul 8, 1944 BY w h. FMIAMISIW i M ATTORNEYS v Patented 'Apr.

DEVICE FOR PURIFYING OXilGEN AND LIKE James K. Hamilton, Plainfield, N. 1., asslgnor to Air Reduction Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application my s, 1944, Serial No. 544,085

2Ciaims. This invention relates to high pressure tanks and more particularly to purifier tanks, such as for purifying oxygen wherethe tank houses the purifying material over which the oxygen entering the tank in the unpurified state is passed and emitted from the tank in a purified state.

Such tanks require large openings for the insertion of the purifying material for which 010- sures must be designed which will withstand the high pressures which are generated. With tanks in which the material is added by ready filled puncturable cartridges, these specially designed closures must be so designed as to be provided with some means for puncturing the cartridge automatically as the closure means is coupled tank;v with the combined closure and puncturing means screwed down into the tank and cartridge;

Fig. 2 is an edge view of thecollar projection having the receding or conical face which enters the recess of the movable closure part to compress the soft rubber gasket thereof; and

to the tank and with some means for retaining the cartridge against vibration when the tank is to be used in an airplane or some movable vehicle.

It is accordingly one object of the invention to provide an internal pressure sealed closure'means having means to automatically puncture the material containing cartridge as the closure means is adjusted into place in the open end of the tank. v

It is still a further object of the invention to provide means associated with the closure means forvsteadying the cartridge in the tank against axial play. I

According to the present invention, a cartridge containing the purifying material is inserted into the tank and allowedto rest temporarily against one puncturing device which is located in the bottom of the tank.

This latter device will serve to place an opening in the cartridge through which fluid entering by way of a fluid opening in the bottom of the tank,

prongs to the bottom M.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the closure part and of a soft rubber gasket assembled in the peripheral recess thereof. a

Referring now particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown a tank body ll having a bottom 12 with a fluid opening it therein. Against this bottom It, and particularly against an annular gasket it of soft material, there is forced an advanced fac lb of a. cartridge i5 containing oxygen-purifying material H such, for instance, as calcium chloride. 0n the bottom it of the tank body is 2. prong device It comprising a set of axially extending prongs l9 and a screw 20 for securing the These prongs serve to force openings 2i into the advanced face If: to place the material I! within the cartridge in contact with fluid from the inlet opening is. The face it of the cartridge has an axially extending rim flange 22 which is forced into the After the cartridge has been inserted into tank,

H and is temporarily rested upon the prongs I9 in the bottom of the tank, closure means 23 is screwed down into the threaded open end 25 of the tankbody. This closure means 23 has a threaded securing part or plug 25 which is connected to the tank body and an unthreaded closure part 26 which is axially movable with respect to the plug 25.

Associated with thesecuring plug 25 is a collar or ring 27 having a forward or contacting face 28 which is adapted to engage a gasket 29 of flexible material located in an annular recess ac of the closure part having at least one face opprong device simultaneously punctures the rear- 7 I ward end of the cartridge to emit the purified fluid from the cartridge. and establish a fluid flow to an outlet in the tank body, and at the same time bring the steadying plate against the end of the cartridge to hold the cartridge against axial play. a a

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled posing face 28. This contacting face 28 is of frusto-conical shape having its outer edge 3! receded axially from portions inwardly thereof .or from its inner edge 82. As the pressure is built up in the t it acts against the securing part' 26 and the force in turn is appliedagainst the annular gasket 29 to press the same into tight sealing engagement with the tank and with the faces of the recess in which it is positioned. Due

instance at the inner edge of the gasket. The

the gas pressure per unit area on the inner side of the closure part 26.

Mounted in a recess 32' in the closure part 26, for relative axial movement with respect thereto, is a supporting-member 33 which carries a steadying plate 34 and a pronged device 35. The

supporting member 33 is urged forwardly by a biasing spring 36 but is limited in this forward movement by engagement of a shoulder 31 thereon with a stop plate or ring 38 fastened by means of screws 4| to the closure part 26. The prong device 35 and the steadying plate 35 are :gcured to the supporting member 33 by a screw As the closure means is screwed down into the tank, the advanced face 55 is forced over the prongs l9 to puncture openings 2! therein and simultaneously prongs 35 puncture a rearward end face 43 of the cartridge I6 to provide leakage openings 46 therein. At the same time the steadying plate 34 engages a rim flange 5 to hold the cartridge it against axial play Within the tank body Ii and the rim flange 22 tight against the annular ring portion it on the tank bottom #2.

Thepurified gas is then permitted to leave the cartridge, and, upon escaping through an opening id of the steadying plate, passes to an outlet or fluid opening M in the tank body adjacent its open end 25. Gas pressure is then applied against the closure part 32 and the gasket 2 is tightly compressed bythe collar 21 into its recess 3% and against the tank body ll, making thereby a tight sealing engagement of the closure the like having a cartridge-receiving tank provided with a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a

cartridge containing purifying material positioned in the tank, and cartridge-penetrating means in one end of the tank for puncturing one end of the cartridg when the cartridge is forced force per unit area on the gasket is many timesinto the tank, the improvement which comprises a closure for the other end of the tank having an outer part that has threaded engagement with the tank and an inner part that slides axially into the tank, means for limiting inward sliding movement of said inner part, compressible sealing material between said parts adapted to be expanded radially outward against the inner Wall of the tank upon compression between the inner and outer parts of the closure, a cartridge steady- ,ing plate carried by said second part of the closure and capable of limited movement relative thereto axially of the tank, said steadying plate having a p ripheral portion adapted to engage the peripheral portion of one end of the cartridge, means for yieldingly urging said steadying plate axially of the tank to bring its peripheral portion into engagement with said peripheral portion of the cartridge, and cartridge-penetrating means located centrally of said peripheral portion of the steadying plate for puncturing the corresponding end of the cartridgewhen the closure is positioned on the tank. v

2. A device for use in purifying oxygen and the like comprising a cartridge-receiving tank, a cartridge containing purifying material positioned in the tank, a tank closure comprising an outer part that-has threaded engagement with the tank and an inner part that slides axially into the 'tank, means for limiting 'in-ward sliding movement of said inner part, compressible sealing material between said parts of the closure, a cartridge-steadying plate carried by said second part of the closure and capable of limited movement relative thereto axially of the tank, said steadying plate having a portion adapted to engage one end of the cartridge, means for yieldingly urging said steadying plate axially of the tank to bring said portion into engagement with the end or the cartridge, at least one prong at the inner side of the steadying plate, at least I one prong in the end of the tank opposite the closure end, and a fluid inlet and fluid outlet at opposite ends of the tank, whereby positioning of the closure causes said prongs to penetrate the opposite ends of the cartridge to permit fluid to flow from the tank inletto the tank outlet longitudinally through the cartridge and also compresses the sealing material between the closure parts and whereby the pressure of the fluid in the tank also tends to compress said sealing material I JAMES K. HAMILTON. 

